Method of and apparatus for preparation of specimens for microscopic examination



Feb. 3, 1970 l M t 3, n w Q H 3 e F e h.. ONS w02 IT. nu mm mm X ME CKNT. CF Sw .mm Amm PWM AR O DF N AS Fw 0MM I9 DCI OE HP, TS1 E M C e D de l .l F l a n .l g .l r O Feb. 3, 1970 P. A. RocK 3,493,447

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR PREPARATION OF SPECIMENS FOR MICROSCOPICEXAMINATION Original Filed Dec. l, 1964 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR(Adriampefer) Rock BY K TTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,493,447 METHODOF AND APPARATUS FOR PREP- ARATION OF SPECIMENS FOR MICRO- SCOPICEXAMINATION Peter Adrian Rock, Pristina, The Bull Ring, Nuneaton,Warwickshire, England Continuation of application Ser. No. 415,028, Dec.1, 1964. This application Mar. 14, 1969, Ser. No. 808,718 Claimspriority, application Great Britain, Dec. 4, 1963, 47,833/63 Int. Cl.B32b 3]/04 U.S. Cl. 156-57 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Theinvention relates to the preparation of specimens of cellular orparticulate substance suspended in a liquid for microscopic examinationand consists in applying a series of traces of the respective specimensonto a transparent film by drawing them on the film, and fixing theseries of traces on the film.

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 415,028,filed Dec. 1, 1964 and now abandoned.

The invention relates to a method of, and apparatus for, thepreparation, for microscopic examination, of specimens of cellular orparticulate substance suspended in a liquid.

According7 to one aspect of the invention there is provided a method ofpreparing, for microscopic examination, a number of specimens ofcellular or particulate substance suspended in a liquid, wherein aseries of traces of the respective specimens are drawn onto atransparent film whereafter the traces are subjected to the action of afixing medium.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided apparatusfor preparing, for microscopic examination, a number of specimens ofcellular or particulate substance suspended in a liquid, including meansfor traversing a film through a recording station, a writing headcapable of applying to said film Whilst travelling through said stationthe specimens to be examined so as to cause a series of traces of thespecimens to be drawn on the film and means arranged in the path of thefilm for fixing the recorded traces.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, oneconstruction of apparatus, in accordance with the invention, will now bedescribed, by way of example, with reference to the accompanyingdrawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. l is a perspective view of the apparatus; and

FIG 2 is a broken perspective view on an enlarged scale of the centralportion of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to the drawing, the apparatus includes a base 1, which carriesa table 2 over which a transparent film is arranged to be drawn as willbe described later.

The film is taken from a supply spool 3 mounted on a stand (not shown)forming part of the base, and is fed onto a storage spool 4 likewisemounted on a stand (not shown) which would also form part of the base.

ice

Adjacent the supply spool 3, the table carries a guide roller 5 to guidethe film onto the table and similarly at the other end of the table, thelatter carries a second guide roller 6 to guide the film from the tableOnto the spool 4. Furher guide means for the film are provided in theform of two guide wheels 7 mounted on a support pad 8 forming part ofthe table 2. Above the roller 5 is a plate 9 which is hinged to aninverted yoke 11 secured to the table 2, the yoke being shaped to permitpassage thereunder of the film from the spool 5 to the table. The plate9 carries a cleaning pad 12 in the form of a strip of cloth passingthrough the plate to bear on the upper face of the film and the cloth,Which is soaked in alcohol or other suitable cleaning liquid, thusserves to clean the upper face of the film as it passes over the guideroller 5. The yoke 11 also provides a bearing for a pivot bar 13 fromwhich an arm 14 projects, the arm carrying at its free end a spreadingspatula 15. The free end of the arm 14 is bifurcated to provide asupporting jaw for the spatula and one limb of the jaw carries a grubscrew 16 whereby the spatula is securely held in position. The functionof the spatula is to draw a trace of the specimens to be examined overthe film as it traverses the table. Here it should be mentioned that theapparatus will include a number of spatulas each of which is similar tothe spatula 15 and by the successive use of the spatula, a series oftraces of Specimens to be examined can be drawn on the film. To achievethe desired application pressure of the spatula on the film, the arm 14carries a weight 17 which is slidable so that the pressure can bevaried.

The lower end of each spatula is provided with a concave recessextending throughout the length of this end edge and the axis of therecess lies in the direction of film travel. In order to form a ridge onthe film to extend into the recess, the pad 8 carries a rod 18 solderedat each end to a transverse rod 19, the rods 19 being soldered to thepad 8.

In order to propel the film over the table, the apparatus includes afriction contact roller which is shrouded by a hood 21 and is notitself, therefore, visible in the drawing. The curved roller surface isof rubber or other suitable friction material and is driven from a motor22 through a reduction unit 23. The driving roller is shaped only tocontact the film over both edge regions thereof, the central region ofthe film being untouched by the driving roller. The roller, togetherwith its hood 21 and also the .motor and the reduction unit is mountedon a bar 24 as a separate assembly, the bar being secured to a post 25which depends through the table 2 to a pivot, not shown, whereby thedriving roller may be moved towards and away from a position of drivingcontact with the film at the guide roller 6. The bar 24 is in factbiased away from the table by a spring 26 so that the roller is normallyclear of the film, and when it is required to produce a trace, the baris depressed to bring the driving roller into contact with the film. Thebar carries a switch for the motor which is arranged to start the motoras the driving roller is brought into contact with the film and to stopthe motor as the bar is released. The spool 4 which is, of course, thetake-up spool is provided with a driving motor, not shown, arranged todrive a supporting spindle for the spool to which the latter is keyed.The latter motor is also arranged to be controlled by movement of thebar 24 simultaneously with the motor 22 and this motor is arrangedlightly to tension the length of film between the spool 4 and the roller6.

Each trace will require fixing after it has been drawn on the film andfor this purpose the storage spool 4 is enclosed in a vessel in the formof a tank 27. The tank is in two parts having a detachable top partwhich will have a clearance slot to clear the driving spindle for thespool 4, and a lower part which contains a fixing liquid, for example,alcohol. The dimensions of the tank are such as to allow the spool 4readily to be removed from its spindle, upon removal of the upper tankpart, and a fresh spool to be mounted on the apparatus. The liquid levelin the tank will be just sufficiently high so that the film becomescompletely immersed in the fixing liquid as it passes into the tank andbefore it is wound onto the spool.

In operation of the apparatus, assume the leading end of the supplyspool to have been drawn over the table and threaded onto the spool 4 inknown manner. The top part of the tank 27 which will, of course, havebeen removed, is then replaced, A sample of the first specimen to beexamined is taken onto a spatula which is mounted on the arm 14 andlowered onto the film portion over the pad 8. Thereafter the bar 24 isdepressed to inch the film forward, which is itself lifted into therecess in the spatula as it passes over the rod 18, to draw a trace ofthe specimen over the film. The arm 14 which, in conjunction with thespatula, constitutes a writing head, is then lifted by hand whilst thebar is still depressed so that the film continues to move forward ashort distance without drawing a trace in order to leave a blank spacefor a perforated code identification. The trace may then be identifiedby a perforated marking and a fresh specimen drawn onto the film byusing a fresh spatula and by drawing a further length of film throughthe recording station defined by the pad 8. This specimen too will beprovided with an identifica-tion and thus a series of specimens, eachhaving its own identification, will be applied to the film until thelatter has been completed. As the film enters the tank the respectivespecimens are fixed.

In the particular application of the apparatus mentioned above thespecimens will require to be stained on the film before the completedfilm is 4microscopically examined and/or stored for records purposes andsubsequent examination. For this purpose a separate piece of apparatusmay be provided, the apparatus consisting of a series of bathscontaining the required stains and washing fiuids, through which thefilm is driven continuously. It may also be desired to cover the filmbefore final storage with another, thinner, plastic film which may beself-adhesive to adhere to the film carrying the specimens. Anattachment to the staining apparatus may be used to apply to the filmbearing the stained specimens such a transparent covering film, theadditional provision of the covering film enabling the specimen bearingfilm to be stored in relatively tightly wound rolls without damage untiirequired for examination.

When it is desired subsequently to examine a particular specimenrecorded on the film, the latter can be placed in an apparatus whichwill cause the film to be unwound from the storage spool and pass overthe stage of a microscope. In this connection it should be noted thatthe apparatus for drawing the traces on the film will be designed toproduce a trace of a width such that it will be within the field of viewof the chosen microscope objective.

Although a writing head in the form of simple spreading spatula has beendescribed above this being suitable for the relatively viscous substanceconstituting the specimens concerned, this may, however, be replaced bya capillary tube pen for more free fiowing liquids. As a furtheralternative a felt swab may be used, the swab being Vs uitalply shapedso that it will draw a trace.

It will be appreciated that the invention provides a convenient methodof preparing specimens particularly when such specimens are likely torequire storing for some considerable time and compares favourably withexisting methods of taking specimens and applying them to individualmicroscope slides. Furthermore the application of the specimens to acontinuous film enables a pattern recognising computer to be employed inthe examination of the specimens since it is then only necessary to passthe film through the computer.

While the diagnosis of carcinoma has been given as an application forwhich the invention is particularly suitable, other applications will befound in the general field of cytology, and in the fields ofbacteriology, hematology and particle size analysis.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of preparing a number of specimens of cellular orparticulate substance suspended in a liquid for microscopic examination,comprising the steps of traversing a length of transparent film througha recording station, delivering the liquid containing the specimens to awriting member located at said station in a position adjacent to thefilm moving therethrough, drawing a series of individual traces of theliquid containing the specimens with the writing member upon a surfaceof the transparent film as it travels through the station, andsubjecting the substance of the traces which are drawn upon the film tothe action of a fixing medium.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, including the steps of cleaning thesurface of the film to which the traces are to be drawn while moving thelength of film toward said station, and covering the traces on the filmwith a further transparent film which adheres to the first mentionedfilm.

3. Apparatus for preparing, for microscopic examination, a number ofspecimens of cellular or particulate substance suspended in a liquid,including a recording station for recording the specimens on a film,means for traversing a length of film through said recording station, awriting head at said station incorporating a capillary tube for applyingto said film while travelling through said station the specimens to beexamined, and means cooperating with said capillary tube for applying aseries of traces of the specimens onto the film.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, including a table a part of whichforms said station, said writing head including an arm pivotally mountedon said table and carrying said capillary tube.

5. Apparatus for preparing, for microscopic examination, a number ofspecimens of cellular or particulate substance suspended in a liquid,including a recording station for recording the specimens on a, film,means for traversing a length of film through said recording station, awriting head at said station incorporating a spreading spatula forapplying to said film while travelling through said station thespecimens to be examined, and means cooperating with said spatula forapplying a series 0f traces of the specimens onto the film.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein the spatula has an edgesurface which is presented to the film, said edge surface having aconcave specimen-receiving recess disposed with its axis extendingparallel to the film, and said apparatus including a support bar mountedon the table and arranged to defiect the film into a ridge to extendinto the recess as it is propelled over the table.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, including a cleaning pad arranged toclean the face of the film on which the specimens are to be recordedprior to the film passing through the recording station.

8. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, including a table a part of whichforms said station, said writing head including an arm pivotally mountedon said table and carrying said spreading spatula.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein said traversing meansincorporates a film guiding roller mounted 5 on the table to guide thelilm from the supply spool onto the table, a further guide rollermounted on the table to guide the film from the table onto the storagespool, and two lateral film engaging guide rollers mounted on the tableat said station.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the writing head isarranged to produce traces of specimens centrally of the lilm and the lmtraversing means includes a friction driving roller arranged formovement into and out of a position of contact with the edge regions ofthe portion of the lm supported by said further roller.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,858,308 5/1932 Schiller.2,055,215 9/1936 Dreyer 96-63 XR 2,891,443 6/1959 Pollock 95-75 XR2,899,363 8/1959 Nieburgs 117-3 XR 3,333,826 8/1967 Kessler 167-845OTHER REFERENCES HAROLD ANSHER, Primary Examiner G. W. MOXON II,Assistant Examiner U.s.C1.X.R.

